Blog post by Neil from Camden Greenpeace:

How many times have you heard an MP say ‘no one ever speaks to me about climate change’? Well, after this weekend, hundreds of MPs up and down the country can no longer use that excuse for not prioritising action on climate change. As part of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, supporters of a broad range of environment and development organisations met with our MPs to discuss how we can support them to influence the policies we need to tackle climate change.

We asked for their help to get more action on energy efficiency in homes, controls on carbon emissions from power stations, and financial support for developing countries to adapt to climate change and to develop cleanly. And we will work with them over the next year to help get the action we need.

Together with Camden Greenpeace, members of Camden Friends of the Earth met our two local MPs Glenda Jackson, MP for Hampstead and Kilburn and Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn and St Pancras on Saturday 6 November.

Lobbying Glenda Jackson MP:

Lobbying Frank Dobson MP:

We asked Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn & St Pancras:

1) On Energy Efficiency we’d like your support to make sure the Energy Bill that is being introduced in Parliament later this year is strong enough to both deliver the carbon cuts necessary and protect low-income households from rising fuel bills. We need to see an end to cold homes by 2020 and more immediate action on the worst housing, which is largely in the private rented sector.

Mr Dobson responded:

“I support a more ambitious Green Deal, and better insulation for homes. It’s all gain – it saves money and creates jobs, not in China, but here in the UK. People living in crap accommodation are usually paying a fortune to keep cold in winter. Energy efficiency is straightforward. I’m in favour of major measures on insulation.”

2) On carbon emissions from power plants we need the Energy Bill to include limits on carbon pollution from coal and gas power plants to meet carbon reduction targets within the Climate Change Act.

Mr Dobson responded:

“I would probably support an Emissions Performance Standard for coal and gas power plants. I’m concerned by the low thermal efficiency of conventional power stations. We’re converting less than half the energy in coal to electricity. I’m also concerned about the energy efficiency of carbon capture and storage. We need to massively improve the energy efficiency of what we burn to make energy.”

3) On international climate finance we want to see UK leadership at the forthcoming international climate talks in Cancun. We particularly want the Government to support new and innovative ways of raising finance, such as an international levy on air flights or a small financial transaction tax.

Mr Dobson responded:

“I’m in favour of, not a marginal, but a very substantial tax on all financial transactions. It’s better if we say let’s make it 5% – it’s not very much for HSBC, but it is an awful lot for the rest of us. We need to raise the stakes. Some of that money could be devoted to the purpose of [international climate finance].”

We asked Mr Dobson if he would write to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change to pass on our concerns and express his support for the measures we suggested. He said that he will think about writing, but can not guarantee it. He was concerned that his efforts would be discounted by David Cameron. However he did say, “There may be better ways to bring pressure to bear, and I’m quite happy to take part in campaigns to do that.”

We agreed that this was the beginning of a dialogue, and we will be arranging a further meeting in a few months to discuss progress and how we can move forward. We may not have agreed on all issues and methods, but we have certainly made a good connection with our MP and raised the issue of climate change.

To find out how to connect with your MP to discuss climate change and the issues that matter to you, visit: http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/the-big-connection

To find out more about how you can get involved with lobbying local MPs or other activities with Camden Friends of the Earth please contact us!

Read more about Camden Greenpeace at
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/groups/camden-0

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Thank you to everyone who attended our fundraising vegan banquet for the 350 Global Day of Doing on 10/10/10. The grand total raised for Friends of the Earth is an amazing £1130.64!

Read a report of the evening on the Friends of the Earth website, or see a selection of photos below:

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PLEASE NOTE: We are sorry to announce that our Vegan Banquet is now full to capacity (although we are absolutely chuffed about the positive response!) As we don’t like to stop people coming, we will have room for more after 9pm for the after-dinner entertainment for which we are asking £5 donation. If you can’t make it and would like to make a donation anyway - please do! It’s all for an excellent and important cause. Thank you.

Surely the most pleasurable way to voice concerns about the environment must be to tuck into good healthy low carbon fare! As you may know, we’re organising a 3 course vegan banquet and swap shop at the Pirate Castle on Oval Road to celebrate the 10/10/10 Global Day of Doing on the 10th of October. It will be one of 5978 events taking place around the world.

We are all aware that modern commercial animal husbandry is a major contributor to global greenhouse emissions. As the organisation that ran ‘The Big Ask’, the campaign that brought about our Climate Change law, we’re keen that people understand that the food choices that they make have a direct impact on the size of their carbon footprint.

An International menu, including superb desserts and wine, a swap shop to exchange your oldies for someone else’s oldies, and live entertainment awaits attendees! The evening promises to be one of much merriment coupled with participating in a powerful International day of climate campaigning and awareness.

A minimum donation of £10 is requested, all proceeds to Friends of the Earth. Places can be booked and donations can be made at:
http://www.justgiving.com/veganbanquet

We look forward to seeing you there!

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We were out and about last Saturday 25 September campaigning on Fix the Food Chain with stalls at two fairs on one day.

At the Belsize Green Fair, organised by Transition Belsize, we were surrounded by locally-grown fresh fruit & veg stalls, farmyard animals in the street, and greenhouse-making from old plastic bottles (see photos here). The Festival of Life in Holborn attracted people from all across the country to find out about creating a healthy future, including nutrition, yoga and conscious partying, so we got quite a varied audience for our campaigning. Joe even did a spot of cow-mask-modelling, as you can see in the photo!

We got over 100 postcards signed in total to send to MPs to ask them to support a Sustainable Livestock Bill, which is being read in Parliament on November 12. Hopefully we will get lots more MPs on board as a result! We also got lots of interest in our upcoming Vegan banquet on Sunday 10 October. Thanks to everyone who came along and helped to make our stalls such a success!

We’re off to another green fair this week, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in Bloomsbury, 12-2pm on Wednesday 6 October. If you’re free to help out please get in touch!

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On Monday 6 September Camden invited members of the public to hear a presentation of Carbon Descent’s report on how it might reduce its emissions by 40% by 2020, compared to 2005. The meeting was chaired by Angela Mason, the Director for environment and a number of staff too. Friends of the Earth sent a delegation to the Council chamber a few months ago making this request so it was gratifying to see the Council so quickly produce a report setting out some ideas of how this might be achieved.

Two-thirds of the Boroughs emissions are from commercial and industrial, around third from home and a small amount from road transport. Since 2005, Camden’s emissions had grown by 2.6% by 2008. This means we have to reduce our emissions by 42.6%.

The consultants suggested a number of options to hit this target. Quite a large part (around 40%) would be achieved simply by grid electricity becoming partly decarbonised by 2020 through an increase in the amount of renewables and a shrinkage of the percentage coal. But Camden would have to increase the amount of solid wall insulation and CHP-district heating.

The report was a little quiet about the measures the commercial and industrial sector would take. Carbon Descent were negative about the amount of control the Council would have over businesses. Local renewables such as medium scale wind and micro-renewables like PV and solar hot water were not anticipated to make much of a difference.

Download Carbon Descent’s presentation
Download the full report - Meeting 40% Carbon Emissions Reductions by 2020

Angela Mason also launched the Camden Communities Green Fund which provides between £250 and £5000 to help local communities develop local projects.

(Thanks to Prashant Vaze, author Economical Environmentalist for the above summary of the event)

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We ran a survey over June and July to find out what people in Camden think about environmental issues. We received 80 responses in total – from our website, email list, other community group email lists, Camden Green Fair and a stall at Parliament Hill farmer’s market.

Here’s some of the top level results from the survey (click to view bigger):

People were most concerned about climate change, resource consumption, waste and recycling, and transport.

Although people were most concerned about climate change, this was felt to be the area we can least influence locally. This is something our Get Serious about CO2 campaign aims to target, to encourage local councils to help businesses and individuals cut carbon emissions as well as reducing their own footprint.

People felt that incentives would help them live more sustainably. We also received many useful and suggestions, in particular comments on people’s eco bugbears, which help to highlight which issues people in Camden feel strongly about. We received many comments on concerns about recycling in Camden, and transport issues, which we are currently feeding back to the Council.

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Great news - Camden Council have just announced a seminar on cutting CO2 emissions across Camden by 40% in 2020 - the target of our Get Serious about CO2 campaign!

The event, “Cutting Camden’s CO2 by 2020: working together for a greener Camden“, will be held on Monday 6 September, 7-8pm, Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street WC1.

Chris Dunham of Carbon Descent will present Camden’s recently completed feasibility work on how Camden can achieve 40% CO2 reduction. They will focus on:

• which low carbon strategies and technologies are likely to have the biggest impact
• the probable challenges
• the role people in Camden can play in Camden’s low carbon transition

After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to discuss the feasibility work with Carbon Descent and members of Camden’s sustainability team.

It sounds like a great event and shows how successful our campaign has been so far, with the council putting effort and resources into seeing how we can achieve substantial CO2 reductions across the borough.

All are welcome to attend - please contact harold.garner@camden.gov.uk if you plan to go along.

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Cecil Sharp House in Regents Park Road was host to the wonderful London Permaculture Festival today, with talks, workshops, films and environmental groups from all over London joining in!

Sharat, Shiv and Susan had a successful day’s campaigning on Fix the Food Chain, getting over 100 postcards signed to persuade MPs to support the Sustainable Livestock Bill. Our ‘moo masks’ were popular with younger visitors and there were some great ideas added to our planet-friendly farming ideas tree…

“happier animals make tastier meat!”…”every council should provide subsidised veg + fruit growing lessons”…”family days on organic/permaculture farms”…”supermarkets to support local growers”

We also got a lot of interest for our upcoming 10/10/10 vegan banquet event (please save the date…more details on this to be announced soon!).

You can also take an online action to ask your MP to support the Sustainable Livestock Bill in its reading in Parliament in November.

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Thousands of premature death every year can be attributed to air pollution in London. More than 4000 only to fine particulate matter called PM2.5. This is 20 times more than road fatalities!
In this context, I worked on the data coming out of a study on PM2.5 commissioned by the Greater London Authority [June 2010 report]. The data tells us that:

• Camden is the second most polluted London Borough, after Westminster,
• More than 100 people in Camden die from PM2.5 pollution each year.

I designed a couple of maps to show the levels of pollution across London and across Camden. They highlight the contributions of Heathrow airport and of road traffic. On the Camden map, you can see hundreds of black dots representing the premature deaths attributable to PM2.5. The dots do not indicate an accurate location but their quantity is precisely matching the number of deaths by ward.

- - - - - - - - London Map - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Camden Map - - - - - - - -

If you believe things must change, please have a look at the draft London Air Quality Strategy. Consultation goes on until 13 August, 2010 - 17:00. Let’s together use this blog to discuss the Mayor’s strategy and prepare a collective input to the debate!

First, and in order to trigger a debate, the Mayor seems to believe in electric vehicles and in the possibility of a smoother traffic flow. Other cities go the other way round and invests in tramways, bus priority and pedestrianised streets. Which strategy is the best? Hard to tell… but which one would deliver a broad range of long term benefits across policy areas?

Alex

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Are you aged between 18-30? Live in London? Passionate about the environment? Keen to get involved in actions around the capital? Friends of the Earth is looking to develop a new network of activists in London, bringing together people aged 18-30 to take part in a variety of campaign actions and social activities across the capital.

Group members of Camden FoE will be involved - we think it sounds like a great way of mobilising campaigners across London. If you’ve never been involved with Friends of the Earth activities before this is a great opportunity to get involved in new ways of environmental campaigning!

Find out more on the Friends of the Earth website.

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